Afghanistan Cities

• There are six major cities, each the center of its region:

•   Kabul - in the East, the capital city.

•  Kandahar - in the South, Taliban influenced.

•   Herat - in the West

• Mazar-e Sharif - in the North

• Jalalabad - in the east, between Kabul and the Khyber Pass.

• Ghazni - in the Southeast, between Kabul and Kandahar.

Each of these cities is connected by road to a neighboring country, and many are influenced by their neighbors. Iranian influence is strong in Herat, while Kandahar, Jalalabad and Mazar-e Sharif all have many citizens from ethnic and linguistic groups that are also common in neighboring countries.

Other centers include:

•  Bagram

•  Balkh

• Faizabad

• Konduz

•  Pol-e Khomri

• Sheberghan

• Taloqan

Other destinations

Bamiyan - The remains of the Buddhas. Once considered one of the wonders of the world, these tall stone carvings were destroyed by the Taliban in a notorious act of cultural vandalism.

Band-e Amir - 5 stunningly turquoise lakes in a remote and beautiful setting, not far from Bamiyan.

Shamali Plain north of Kabul. Shamali, meaning 'windy', is a green plain which produced a lot of the food for central Afghanistan. From Kabul it extends north through Charikar, Parwan province to Jabal os Saraj. The Taliban destroyed the irrigation systems and it is only just beginning to recover.

Panjshir Valley - a beautiful trekking area, leading to the famous Anjuman Pass.

The Salang Pass is a high mountain pass and tunnel linking Kabul to the north.

Mazar-e Sharif is home to the impressively tiled Blue Mosque. From here visit nearby Balkh or the Qaila Jangi fortress where Taliban prisoners attempted a breakout.

The Khyber Pass is the Gateway to India, an historic route of invasion and trade.

The Minaret of Jam is well off the beaten path but some say worth the journey - possible as a roundtrip from Herat or when traversing the Central Route from Herat to Kabul.